Irresistable Flame
by alynwa
Summary: Originally written for the Song Story Challenge on LJ. The prompt is Girl Blue's "Fire Under Water."


"To quote that ridiculous movie you force me to watch every Thanksgiving, here's another fine mess you've gotten me into!" Illya was in a foul mood, but who wouldn't be in his position? He was currently chained to a cement wall wearing only his boxer shorts. "Today was supposed to be about the British Laurel and Hardy, American football and turkey dinner; instead, you manage to get us captured and locked up! With _her_!" he practically snarled.

Napoleon shrugged his shoulders, or tried to as he was similarly chained. He opened his mouth to reply when the "her" the Russian had referred to spoke. "Now, now, now, Illyusha," Angelique purred, "Don't be angry with Napoleon. It's not his fault he didn't want to watch me die." She, like the men on either side of her, was also chained to the wall in her underwear, though she had been allowed to keep her bra.

"You are no Innocent, DeChien, your death would have just been a casualty of this Game we all play."

"Enough, the two of you!" Napoleon snapped, causing both the THRUSH and UNCLE agents to fall silent. "I don't like this any more than you; this wasn't part of my Thanksgiving plans either, but we all had our orders, didn't we? Obviously, THRUSH's Intel received the same information ours did; that a high – ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party had escaped to the West and planned to sell China's secrets, both military and financial, to the highest bidder. And for their own unique reasons, our respective organizations didn't want that to happen."

"And we would have been successful had this…_person_ not inserted herself into the situation and manage to get a gun placed against her skull! I, for one, would have let you be shot, but for whatever reason, Napoleon chose to surrender to save you."

"For which I am grateful, Cherie. General Ming is on the run now, but he will be caught, sooner or later, by my organization or yours and whoever gets him will not let him forget what he did to its agents. A more pressing detail for me is how are we getting out of these chains?"

"UNCLE knows that Illya and I went to Wo Fat's Restaurant to intercept the General. When we miss our check – in, a Search Team will come tear this place apart and find us. Someone should be here in about ninety minutes, give or take." He looked over the woman's head and grinned at his partner. "You'll get your turkey dinner, don't worry." A snort of disgust was his only reply.

He turned his attention back to Angelique. Gazing up and down at her appreciatively, he asked, "Does being locked in the cellar in our underwear remind you of anything?"

"Yes, Napoleon, I remember how we first met, but we're not going to talk about it," she said as she tilted her head towards the other man.

"I already know about the first time you two met." His eyes met hers. "I know everything."

She looked back at Napoleon who again tried to shrug his shoulders. "You really don't have any secrets between you."

"No, we don't."

Illya stared at her for a few seconds. "Since it appears we will be hanging around, pun intended, for at least an hour, would you mind if I ask you a question, Angelique?" Illya had shifted his body so that he had some semblance of comfort.

"First, you wish I had been shot so that you could eat your dinner early and now you want to ask me something?"

It was Illya's turn to attempt a shrug. "Da."

She glared at him and then turned to look at Napoleon. "Your partner has a huge set of _buretts_!" Sighing loudly, she looked back at the Russian and said, "Today may be your lucky day. Ask your question and know that I may not answer."

"I understand to a point why Napoleon continues to indulge himself with your…company. I think you are a viper, but vipers are beautiful creatures. And intelligent. So why do you continue to be involved with him when the Central Committee could have you executed for fraternizing with the enemy?"

Angelique's eyes had widened as Illya spoke. "_That's _what you want to know? I'm stunned and not just because you think I'm beautiful. You want to know what _I _see in _him?_"

Napoleon was also shocked that Illya had asked such a question, but covered by joking, "What? You don't think I'm beautiful? Why _wouldn't _she want me?"

"Cherie, don't pout." She glanced back at Napoleon before closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she opined, "Well, since I have nothing better to do…Alright. You say Napoleon told you how we met ten years ago?"

"Yes, in Bruges."

"We were both young and beautiful then. I was a fairly new agent, eager to please the Central Committee. When I was given that assignment in Bruges, I took it as my time to shine. I thought it was going well and then Napoleon arrived, sharing my spotlight, so to speak, as he attempted to get that scientist to deal with UNCLE."

"When he turned on both of us and imprisoned us in the cellar, I made love with Napoleon because there was a chance we might die and I didn't want to feel alone. There was a sense of danger surrounding him that I found attractive. When we were rescued, I believed that would be the last time I would ever see him and he would simply become a fond memory."

"The next time I saw your partner, I was vacationing in Rio de Janiero. I was enjoying a drink with a pleasant enough, but ultimately dull man when I looked up and noticed him staring at me from his seat at the bar of the restaurant where I was. I made my excuses to my companion and left. Napoleon followed me and when we had entered an area that was fairly private, I confronted him. I was angry, thinking that I was a target. I was prepared to fight, but he insisted that I was not his assignment, he had just completed a mission and only wanted to get a drink and coincidentally entered the establishment where I was."

Illya's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "And you _believed _him?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course not. I was thinking that I would kill him at the first opportunity, but…"

"But _what_?" Napoleon interjected, "You never told me that before! And you didn't try to kill me, either. So what was the 'but?'"

The blonde smiled at him. "You looked into my eyes and I saw a fire in yours, a passion that matched mine and even though I knew, I _know_, our liaisons are dangerous, I allow myself to burn in your flame. I revel in the danger." She turned her attention back to the other man. "Does that answer your question?"

Illya nodded. "Thank you for your honesty, Angelique. It makes me think that maybe you will not kill Napoleon one day. Are you not afraid the Central Committee will punish you one day?"

Angelique looked at Illya and smiled. It struck him that the smile didn't make her look friendly. She looked cold, calculating and deadly. "I am afraid of nothing and no one. As for Napoleon, I don't have any illusions and neither should you. If I had to, I would kill him. Just like he would kill me given the right circumstances. It's part of the danger of our relationship."

Whatever Illya or Napoleon was about to say was interrupted by the sound of breaking wood and footfalls on the floor above them. "It would seem that your cavalry has arrived, Cherie; what about me?"

"Well, unfortunately, unlike Bruges, we're not new agents and you're well known to UNCLE, so you'll be detained."

"Such is the life we lead, Cherie," she said sadly.

When the Strike Team secured the upstairs and made their way to the basement, they immediately freed the three agents who grabbed their clothes and shoes from where they were piled in a corner and began to dress. Angelique was mildly amused that Napoleon ordered all the men, Illya included, to turn around to afford her some privacy, though he made sure he relieved her of all her obvious weapons first and watched as she dressed to see if she had any subtle weaponry. When he was satisfied she was unarmed and she had finished dressing, he handed her over to two Section IIIs to take to Headquarters while he and Illya took the rest of the team to try to trace the general's steps and hopefully, capture him.

"It is most unfortunate, Gentlemen, that General Ming managed to escape from New York. Our Intelligence section has traced him to Quebec City. Fortunately for you two, Agents Slate and Dancer are already there, so I have assigned the matter of capturing him to them." Mr. Waverly checked his watch. "It's after five and since there's nothing else for us to do, we can all take our leave and you can carry on with your Thanksgiving plans."

"Thank you, Sir," Napoleon said in a surprised voice, "I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, but don't you want me to witness Miss DeChien's interrogation or do it myself?"

"Ah well, that won't be necessary, Mr. Solo, as Miss DeChien escaped custody while being transported here."

"_What?_" both agents exclaimed simultaneously. Illya, recovering first, asked, "How was that possible, Sir?"

"Miss DeChien was grossly underestimated by Agents Lawrence and Ponce. They told the Section Head that she was so submissive and frightened, or so they thought, that they failed to handcuff her, wrongly assuming she would not offer any resistance. Just as they were about to get on the FDR Drive, she attacked both men using her shoes as weapons, causing the car to slam into the divider and then leapt from the car and ran off barefoot."

It was all Napoleon could do to keep a straight face. "I see. I hope you're not too hard on them, Sir. Ange…Miss DeChien is quite the actress."

"Do not concern yourself with Section III, Mr. Solo. You and your partner leave before I think of something you _can_ do tonight."

"Yes, Sir!" they replied in unison as they rose and exited the office. They walked stone-faced to the elevator bank. Once the door closed, Napoleon leaned against the wall and laughed while his partner just shook his head.

"That is a mistake Lawrence and Ponce will never make again," Illya said, "They are fortunate to be alive. Angelique is many things, but 'frightened' is not one of them. Let's discuss more important things: What are you going to do about our dinner?"

"Not to worry, Partner Mine. I had made all the sides a while back and took them out of the freezer two days ago so they're all ready to go into the oven. The turkey is only ten pounds, but it will take too long to cook tonight, so I'll cook it tomorrow. Tonight, we'll eat the lasagna, salad and the antipasti. Thanksgiving will be held for two days!"

"Then it is a good thing I planned to stay the night. Where do you think Angelique is?"

"Probably sipping champagne and eating caviar even as we speak. Angelique is like a cat; she always lands on her feet."

_In a THRUSH safehouse somewhere in northern New Jersey…_

Angelique sipped her champagne as she pushed the remains of her lobster thermidor away. _I am so glad those two idiots bought my whole scared little mouse routine. It would have been impossible to escape UNCLE headquarters, wherever it is. _She shivered and wrapped her blanket tighter around her. _I hope I don't get sick; jumping into the East River and swimming downtown in November was not my best idea, but I got away and the car I stole had excellent heat. _Not for the first time, she wished Napoleon were there to keep her company. _I love to burn in your flame, Cherie, as you love to burn in mine._

Yes, I remember how I met you  
But we will not talk about it  
Reminiscing's what we left behind  
To get where we are now  
To get where we are now

Yet, sometimes it feels like we are still  
Those young and stunning strangers  
You threw a shadow in my spotlight  
I had a song called danger  
I had a song called danger

But now I'm swimming in nothing  
Only blues are on my side  
I got nothing to hope for, honey  
I got nothing to hide  
Now I'm swimming in nothing  
Only blues are on my mind  
And that ocean's endless deep  
And that ocean's endless wide, but

Every time you look in my eyes  
It's like fire under water, fire under water  
Every time you look in my eyes  
It's like fire under water, fire under water  
I go down, down, down, down, down  
But I come up burning every time


End file.
